RegisterLog in
Main forum

Introduce yourself - PART 3

6 year(s) ago • 180041 views • 532 replies

Jonah Young / Or / Aaron Young
Jonah Young / Or / Aaron Young
Purple beltVerified82 forum posts4765/400
2 year(s) ago
Hey I'm Jonah been training on and off for a while. Something about jiujitsu always brings me back to training even after some serious injuries. I think mainly, its the people. I just got my first stripe on my blue belt today which is definitely encouraging. Thank you to everyone who has made this sport so much fun! I hope to see you all on the mats sometime!
Oss
David Ayuso
David Ayuso
Blue beltVerified4 forum posts565/200
2 year(s) ago
Hello! I'm David Ayuso. I trained Judo intensely for 4 years and got burned out and stopped training. Got back to it on March of this year but in a BJJ school offering a "Judo for BJJ" class. At first I didn't want to train BJJ but didn't have enough Judo partners since is not very popular in the area I'm living. I started dropping in to Open Mats just trying to find people willing to work on stand up so I could practice my Judo. However, I started to get fascinated with all the techniques, guard passing and guard retention and after getting invited by my Professor I went to my first class in June 1st of this year. I have met amazing people through the sport and hope to continue doing so! Thanks y'all
Edited 2 year(s) ago
Eric Burke
Eric Burke
Blue beltVerified12 forum posts1180/200
2 year(s) ago
Hello, I am a lifelong martial artist who began training in 1983 in Shaolin Kung Fu. That is still my primary art. However, I acknowledged my style did not address grappling so I began seeking instruction in 2016 via Gracie University. I finally stepped out of my comfort zone and began classes in April of 2022 at my current academy. I hope to continue training and eventually help bridge the gap for individuals who are resistant to cross training between traditional martial arts and BJJ. I believe in implementing voluntary hardships (like getting on the mats!) in order to spark growth, resilience and discipline. My BJJ goals are simple (not easy), get good at the fundamentals so I can be a better all around martial artist and a more qualified sheepdog for my family and community! My current rank is a 4 Stripe White Belt so I'm hoping that Blue Beltch is not too far away:-) Seriously, my BJJ journey has completely been out of my comfort zone and has challenged me tremendously, especially at 51 years old. Obtaining my Blue would be an accomplishment for me! Thank you & Get After It!!!
Mike
Mike
Black beltVerified9 forum posts1965/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hi, I'm Mike, I live in Ohio, USA been training almost 12 years. Got my black belt yesterday from my coach in Indiana yesterday. I run an academy in Ohio called Triple Threat BJJ. I have about 50 students adults and children. Jiu Jitsu has been a huge part of my development.
Brandon Covert
Brandon Covert
Brown beltVerified27 forum posts2965/700
2 year(s) ago
Hi my name is Brandon Covert.

I began my journey in bjj in late 2010 under Professor Anthony Hanks at Kaizen Martial Arts Academy in Jackson, Ca. I first began training at the school in Karate earning my way up to Master Green belt (belt before brown belt) before I joined the bjj class. I quickly gained a passion for bjj as it was an easy transition since I wreslted in high school. Our Academy is affiliated with Master Joe who was present during all my belt promotions up to purple belt. I attended several of his seminars learning traditional smash jiu-jitsu and competed in a few competitions as a white belt and blue belt earning a record of 3-2. It has now been just over 13 years training in BJJ as it has become a lifestyle as I continue to navigate the path to my brown belt.
Edited 2 year(s) ago
Callum Rollo
Callum Rollo
Purple beltVerified18 forum posts1715/400
2 year(s) ago
I'm Callum a purple belt (Aug 2023) training at RGA Darlington in the North East of England.

I started training BJJ mainly for MMA 11 years ago, I had 3 amateur fights then realised that game wasn't for me.

I jumped from gym to gym for a few years until I was called a sandbagger 🤣 when I was winning comps as a 4 year white belt.

Joined Innovation Jiu Jitsu just outside Middlesbrough which was part of Team ZR UK under Alain Pozo where I was awarded my blue belt.

After COVID I moved to what is now called RGA Darlington under Jakub Niski as the kids timetable suited my children better.

This year I was awarded my purple belt after a seminar with Oscar Guigala from RGA HQ in London, I currently a part of the team that runs the kids program alongside my now 16 year old child Charlie who is now an adult white belt with 4 stripes.

Outside of jits I compete in powerlifting and recently in October I won the M1 & Open U110kg World championships.
Jonathan Thomas
Jonathan Thomas
Black belt 2nd degreeVerified1 forum posts5475/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hey guys, This is Jon Thomas, I have been training jiu jitsu for 19 years and have been a black belt since 2013. I have competed and won multiple tournaments at all belt levels. In addition I have started a YouTube channel for helping teach jiu jitsu to people who are interested in learning online. I wanted to be verified here to help contribute to the community. Would appreciate any help with votes if you happen to know me. Thanks so much!
Edited 2 year(s) ago
Timo Rissanen
Timo Rissanen
Black beltVerified185 forum posts6170/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hey guys, This is Jon Thomas, I have been training jiu jitsu for 19 years and have been a black belt since 2013. I have competed and won multiple tournaments at all belt levels. In addition I have started a YouTube channel for helping teach jiu jitsu to people who are interested in learning online. I wanted to be verified here to help contribute to the community. Would appreciate any help with votes if you happen to know me. Thanks so much!
Welcome to the site. I bet everyone have seen your videos, but there could be some place on earth that people have not heard about you and your skills. I would suggest that you upload some images on your profile, including promotion photos etc.

In this site you have to assume that no one knows you and you have to spell your jiu jitsu career to a 5 year old.

R. David Gonzalez
R. David Gonzalez
Black belt 4th degreeVerified4799 forum posts35020/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hey guys, This is Jon Thomas, I have been training jiu jitsu for 19 years and have been a black belt since 2013. I have competed and won multiple tournaments at all belt levels. In addition I have started a YouTube channel for helping teach jiu jitsu to people who are interested in learning online. I wanted to be verified here to help contribute to the community. Would appreciate any help with votes if you happen to know me. Thanks so much!
Welcome to Beltchecker.
John A. Byrne
John A. Byrne
Black beltVerified1013 forum posts6440/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hey guys, This is Jon Thomas, I have been training jiu jitsu for 19 years and have been a black belt since 2013. I have competed and won multiple tournaments at all belt levels. In addition I have started a YouTube channel for helping teach jiu jitsu to people who are interested in learning online. I wanted to be verified here to help contribute to the community. Would appreciate any help with votes if you happen to know me. Thanks so much!
Welcome sir. Have always enjoyed your videos and have used details from them to be better!
Mason Spahr
Mason Spahr
White beltVerified1 forum posts20/0
2 year(s) ago
Hi all, my name is Mason Spahr. I am 17 years old and currently a high school senior. I started doing Jiu-Jitsu a couple months ago with my dad at Archimedes Jiu Jitsu - Malmstrom AFB and really enjoy it. I was able to do a competition after a 2-3 months of training and really enjoyed that as well. I'm currently in the middle of my final high school wrestling season but I'm looking forward to hanging up the singlet and putting the gi back on in February.
John A. Byrne
John A. Byrne
Black beltVerified1013 forum posts6440/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hi all, my name is Mason Spahr. I am 17 years old and currently a high school senior. I started doing Jiu-Jitsu a couple months ago with my dad at Archimedes Jiu Jitsu - Malmstrom AFB and really enjoy it. I was able to do a competition after a 2-3 months of training and really enjoyed that as well. I'm currently in the middle of my final high school wrestling season but I'm looking forward to hanging up the singlet and putting the gi back on in February.
Welcome Mason!
Steve Haydock
Steve Haydock
Black belt 5th degreeVerified1 forum posts2630/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hey everyone and great to be here.

My name is Steve Haydock...originally from the UK but now based in Springfield MO, USA. Began training some stand up in the early 90s and then saw UFC 1 on VHS in 1995 I think .... began my search for Jiu Jitsu and was luck to find a Blue Belt (One of the first in the UK) who lived about 90 mins away from my house. His name was Dean Taylor and he had been promoted to Blue by Rickson when he took a training trip to LA. I pretty much became one of Dean's main training partners and that led to me making my first trip to Rickson's Pacific Palisades gym in August of 2000 when I was promoted to Blue Belt. I would make regular training trips from the UK to Rickson's for the next 4 years trying to learn as much as I could and bring it back. Also around this time Mauricio Gomes, Roger Gracie and Braulio Estima had begun to put down roots in the UK and I was lucky to get training time with all of them. Eventually I became friends with my Professor Roberto 'Risada' Atalla and he was responsible for my promotions to Purple, Brown and then the Black Belt in 2007. In 2013 I moved from the UK to the US and started a small training group in my back yard which then grew and grew. We now have a thriving community training at my gym Kokoro Training Academy. Great to be here and look forward to getting to know you all.
Edited 2 year(s) ago
Dennis Koreman
Dennis Koreman
Blue beltVerified31 forum posts3080/200
2 year(s) ago
Hi All,
My name is Dennis ,49 years old from Breda, the Netherlands. All my life I was interested in martial arts. Started judo at a very young age. (Green belt). A little bit of karate, kickboxing but it got serious when I got older. I practiced wing chun for a few years. Did Krav Maga for 3 years. But it never gave the satisfaction. In September 2021 I started BJJ under first-degree black belt Bart Aarts of MATS. I liked it a lot. Folding clothes with people in them. I thought I knew a lot, but. I didn't have a chance with my first role. Instantly fell in love with BJJ. After 2 years of constant training, I am now a blue belt. My only regret is not starting BJJ 10 years ago.
Edited 2 year(s) ago
Chris Boles
Chris Boles
Black beltVerified2 forum posts2515/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hi All
My name is Chris Boles, 49 years old from the Central Coast NSW Australia. I started training BJJ in Singleton in 2010 under BJJ Blackbelt Sean Kirkwood who was under John Will.
I gained my blue and purple belts from Sean and just before my purple promotion moved to the Central Coast.
I bought some jigsaw mats and started training with my son, who was a 3 stripe white belt, at a local council hall we hired two nights a week.
There were no BJJ gyms near where we’d moved to and I wanted to stay under my own coach / Machado affiliation.
In 2015 I was training on my lunch breaks working in Sydney at SPMA at Concorde where Elvis Sinosic and Anthony Perosh owned a gym.
After some discussions I moved myself and my school, Team Anaconda BJJ & MMA directly under Elvis.
Elvis promoted to brown belt and in September 2020 to Black Belt.
Team Anaconda celebrated its 10th Birthday in December 2023 and we’ve grown from myself as a Blue belt with 3-5 white belts two nights a week to 150 members, 20 classes per week over 6 days and 5 black belts, 2 brown belts, 6 purple belts, around 20 blue belts.
Been a crazy journey.
I’ve competed regularly at every belt level with highlights of:
- 2022 Gold medal ABJJF NSW State Titles Black Belt Masters No Gi 79kg
- 4 x Silver medals 22 & 23 ADCC Australian Nationals - Seniors Pro Divisions
- Gold medals at Will Machado Australasian Titles at Brown and Purple belts
One of my students and assistant coaches passed away a few years ago. He once wrote me a message after winning ADCC National title “It’s not about the medals or the winning titles, it’s about knowledge and passing it on to the boys.” True that.
If anyone feels like connecting or shooting me a vote much appreciated.
Photo of me promoting my son to purple belt a couple of years ago.
Donut
Donut
Black belt 1st degreeVerified6 forum posts2130/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hello, my name is Matt Bowden and I live in Brisbane, Australia. I have been training since early 2010 after watching Kenny Florian knock someone out in the UFC and hearing Joe Rogan mention that was "some crazy BJJ". Well I Googled the closest school, went for a visit before class and thought I would have my black belt in 4years. Hahaha. Went to my first class that night and was submitted about a thousand times by a 2 stripe white belt female fighter. Left with my tail between my legs and thought if I could learn the Art I would be alright given I had been dominated so easily by a lighter fighter. Went back the next night and checked my ego at the door. Very humbling but so much fun. I have never stopped training.
I entered so many competitions in the early years and was even luck enough to place 3rd (as a Blue Belt) in the Pan Pacs held in Melbourne. I focused on training and helping to teach the kids at Garra Lawnton with Professor Miller from Purple belt right through to getting my Black Belt. I finally received that Black Belt from Professor Ed Dias and Professor Jason Miller of Garra BJJ Australia in 2020.
I opened my own gym in March last year (Shed12 BJJ) and it has been fun. Having just promoted some of my students to blue belt has resulted in them asking be to verify them on Beltchecker. This has led to me having to complete my profile which now seems to be waiting solely on votes.
Looking forward to many more years of training (and hopefully competing). Stay solid all and enjoy the journey.
Kindell
Kindell
Black beltVerified3 forum posts2085/1000
2 year(s) ago
I’m Kindell. I train in Albuquerque, NM with my family. Just received my brown belt 😳. So much to learn. My husband is a soon to be black belt, I have 2 kids who are purples, one blue belt daughter and a grey belt daughter. I’m excited to see what this year holds for us.
George Davenport
George Davenport
Black beltVerified15 forum posts3265/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hello, looking for help being verified. I recently heard about this site and do not think I know anyone actually verified here yet. In my profile I have IBJJF provisional card, black belt certificate from my school, and JJGF certificate. Please help, thanks!
George Davenport
George Davenport
Black beltVerified15 forum posts3265/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hey there, I am new to this site and do not know anyone on here yet. Please check out my profile and help me get verified if you feel comfortable doing so. Your help is greatly appreciated! Have a great day!
Eric Burke
Eric Burke
Blue beltVerified12 forum posts1180/200
2 year(s) ago
Hey there, I am new to this site and do not know anyone on here yet. Please check out my profile and help me get verified if you feel comfortable doing so. Your help is greatly appreciated! Have a great day!
Amazing profile! Would love to do the Origin Immersion Camp and have Jocko inflict some Discipline on me🤙🏻
Simon Glynn
Simon Glynn
Black belt 1st degreeVerified2 forum posts1040/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hello, I started out on this Jiu Jitsu journey in the late 90's after already being a traditional Japanese Ju Jitsu black belt for a number of years. A club in the UK bought over Carley Gracie for a seminar which sparked my interest and from then on I swapped my black belt for a white one and started again.
I moved to Holland in 98 and then France in 2000 so my training was at best 'intermittent' for a while until meeting David Giorsetti, one of the 'European dirty dozen'. With new career and family commitments I again took a break in training until my 4 year old was able to join me on the mats and I've kept going from there. In 2014 my 14 years as a white belt ended when I got promoted to blue.
Now at 53, I'm running my own academy in the South of France, primarily focusing on the youth and kids programs, training with all four of my kids and my wife. We're 'regulars' at the Jean Jacques Machado HQ in California whenever we get the chance as well as visiting other academies where ever we travel too.
Anyone travelling to the south of France is welcome to drop in, just drop me a mail.
Cheers
Simon
Leroy Soesman
Leroy Soesman
Black beltVerified59 forum posts2570/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hi, my name is Leroy, training out of Haarlem, the Netherlands. Been training Jiu Jitsu since 2010. I took over from my teacher when his obligations to his gyms in Amsterdam prevented him from teaching our classes any longer.

Since 2021 we have grown our little school quite a bit and we plan to grow it further!

I put a lot of effort into thinking about teaching BJJ and how to grow my students the fastest. I might not be a world champion but I do make sure im a world champion instructor!

I strife for a very relaxed attitude at the gym. Sharing the mats is not a prison. Anyone can come and go as they please, get graded where ever they wish. It’s all about sharing the path to mastery together and being grateful for time shared on the mats.





Edited 2 year(s) ago
Ashley Mann
Ashley Mann
Purple beltVerified12 forum posts2715/400
2 year(s) ago
Realized I never officially introduced myself here, other than asking for votes to be verified (thank you, by the way!). My name is Ashley Mann, and I'm a student of Steve Haydock at Kokoro Training Academy in Springfield, MO. I started BJJ in January of 2019 and have been training as consistently as I can ever since. Still feel I have so far to go, but I am honored to have the opportunity to learn. Recently I started a Jiu Jitsu blog, https://jiujitsuthoughts.com, to start connecting more to the broader Jiu Jitsu community outside of my home gym. My husband Josiah and I train BJJ together, and we've also turned our shared hobby into a shared business by launching a martial arts gym marketing and web design agency, https://bravegymmarketing.com. We enjoy visiting other BJJ gyms together when we travel...perhaps we will meet you one day!
Maks Szymanski
Maks Szymanski
Brown beltVerified1 forum posts1145/700
2 year(s) ago
Hi gang!

Maks here, 32 years young this year, recent Brown Belt @ Three points in Worcester, train 6 days a week along side my wife who is also a brown belt & loving the journey so far,

I've done everything I've wanted to do competitively (for now) so most of my sessions are focusing on my own training, working new stuff, helping our competitors get comp ready & helping the new guys. Been training for almost 7 years and the one thing that I'll always love about this sport is the community! I love traveling and visiting different gyms and genuinely chatting sh*t about jiujitsu and with anyone who will listen to me haha

Usually found with a kimura grip, in 50/50 or with top pressure.
Bob
Bob
Purple beltVerified10 forum posts715/400
2 year(s) ago
Hey everyone, I'm Bob Hood 40 years old, out of Revolution Academy of BJJ in Bucks County, PA, just a stone's throw from Philadelphia. I've been on the mats consistently for the past three years, and I'm proud to say I earned my purple belt in December 2023. My journey with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began about 18 years ago, but life took me on a detour after reaching blue belt; I got married and became a father to two amazing kids. However, the passion for BJJ never left me, and I knew I wanted to share this incredible art with my family. So, I dusted off my gi and jumped back in. It's been an incredible ride, and I'm excited to continue growing, learning, and sharing the mats with all of you.
Edited 2 year(s) ago
Alexander Gaus
Alexander Gaus
Blue beltVerified2 forum posts710/200
2 year(s) ago
Hello everyone!

My name is Alexander, I'm 49 years old and I started BJJ last year. I should actually thank my son for this, who started training classical jujitsu and later BJJ at the age of 6. While I was waiting for him, I saw how diverse the BJJ classes are and every time I thought about joining. It's really fun to start something new that you enjoy doing in later years.

Best regards!
John A. Byrne
John A. Byrne
Black beltVerified1013 forum posts6440/1000
2 year(s) ago
Hello everyone! My name is Alexander, I'm 49 years old and I started BJJ last year. I should actually thank my son for this, who started training classical jujitsu and later BJJ at the age of 6. While I was waiting for him, I saw how diverse the BJJ classes are and every time I thought about joining. It's really fun to start something new that you enjoy doing in later years. Best regards!
Howdy! Glad you are here sir!

Post a reply

Add a quote
 
Changes saved
Success
An error occured
Required fields missing
This person is already on Beltchecker.